9 Dogs Reported Missing Since Aug.1 In South Bend Neighborhood

SOUTH BEND, Indiana – After two Boston terriers were found dead on West Lasalle Avenue, wrapped in blankets and stuffed inside trash bags Tuesday morning, neighbors fear something terrible is happening in their backyard.

London Person lives off Keller Street, a few blocks away from where the dogs were found, and his own dog was stolen out of his yard last week, just two days after the Boston terriers were reported missing.

He said he now fears something far more sinister is happening in his neighborhood.

“We have a blue-nosed pit bull named Laila,” Person said.

Someone came into the backyard and cut the collar off the 3-month-old puppy before taking off.

“I came out within 5 minutes of setting her out after a bath and someone had took her,” Person said.

Person said this isn’t the first dog to go missing in the area.

“I had a female contact me and said she had a red-nose pit bull and the dog was gone,” Person said. “Another guy came forward and said two chihuahuas came up missing. My cousin down the street had a Cocker Spaniel come up missing.”

The city of South Bend confirmed nine dogs have been reported lost since Aug. 1. Five of the nine dogs reported lost were either a pit bull or a pit bull mix.

Some of the other missing dogs were reported missing between West Lasalle and Keller, near Olive. In general, the dogs are being reported missing from areas west and northwest of downtown.

“I think people should be scared,” Person said. “Not on a high alert, but they should be aware of their surroundings.”

Another neighbor who lives across the street from Person said he’s nervous for his own dog’s safety.

“If they can do that to a dog, they could do that to anybody,” Kenneth Woodson said. “If it happens to him, it could happen to anybody.Something is going on around here.”